


linger

by katebishoop



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Coda, Coma, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Keith (Voltron) Whump, M/M, Season/Series 07 Spoilers, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-21
Updated: 2018-08-21
Packaged: 2019-06-30 15:43:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15754746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katebishoop/pseuds/katebishoop
Summary: Keith's head injury lands him in a coma. He's unable to see, speak, or move.But he could feel everything. He couldheareverything.





	linger

“It’s been an honor flying with you all.” Keith felt their bond surge through them, a powerful, comforting force. “Now let’s give it all we got!”

Getting the Robeast up there took everything out of their Lions. They had no power to move away from the explosion and get to safety. All they could do was watch as the light blinded them. All they could do was accept their fate as they fell down to the surface.

They saved Earth. They saved the people they loved. That was what mattered.

Keith was content with that.

* * *

The first thing Keith saw was purple. An endless starry expanse. He felt weightless and heavy at all once.

Was this how Shiro felt when he had died?

Keith could not see the Black Lion, but he heard her mighty roar, and everything went dark again.

* * *

The pain in his skull was his first indicator that Keith was, in fact, alive.

The next thing were the voices above him - foreign and frantic and hazy.

“...heartbeat’s back… erratic…”

“...swelling’s down…”

“...respirator inserted…”

“...we need to...”

“...he’s spiking!”

Keith put all his effort into opening his eyes but nothing would make them budge. He couldn’t see, couldn’t speak, couldn’t tell them that he was fine that he was right here-

An electric shock pulsed through Keith, and he was out once again.

* * *

The next time Keith regained awareness, it was still black. He couldn’t see still, couldn’t talk. He could hear the faint beeping of a heart rate monitor that he assumed was his.

He felt _pain_.

There were so many different things poking into his body, causing itches that he just couldn’t scratch. IV drip, respirator, feeding tube, heart rate monitor, catheter.

Not to mention the pounding in his skull.

His heartbeat was steady, and he used it to tell how much time was passing. It was driving him a little crazy, but having discipline and a routine was better than the silent expanse of nothingness. All at once, he was in his body, trapped by the various machines, but also free to roam around his head. To believe like he was fine, sitting a chair, and feeling that as well.

The sound of a door opening grabbed Keith’s attention.

“Should have known this is where I’d find you.” That was… Commander Holt.

Whoever he was speaking to - whoever was in the room with Keith - didn’t respond. Keith listened as Holt’s footsteps made their way closer.

“Shiro, you need to rest.”

_Shiro’s here?_

A bubble of relief burst in Keith. Shiro was okay.

“Medical cleared me,” Shiro said and he sounded tired - ragged.

“Medical cleared you on the condition that you _rest_ ,” Holt said. “If you aren’t doing work, you’re in that chair. When’s the last time you slept?”

“I’m getting my REM.”

_“Shiro.”_

At first, Keith thought that that was himself speaking, but it was just that Holt agreed with him. That’s good. Shiro could take care of himself just fine - but stress, but this…? He’d run himself into the ground.

Shiro sighed, and the weight of it only confirmed what Keith suspected. “I don’t want him to be alone.”

Keith tried, tried with everything he had to move, to open his eyes, to let Shiro know he was okay- _I’m right here_

“He’s not alone, Shiro.” Holt said, voice softening. “I’ll make sure someone stays with him. You need to rest before the sun rises - in a real bed. Atlas took a lot out of you.”

Keith felt a solid, warm, comforting sensation. Shiro was holding his hand now, rubbing small circles on his knuckles.

“That battle took so much out of them,” Shiro whispered. “How are the others?”

“Lance is awake, last I saw him.” Commander Holt said. “The rest are in and out of it, but they’re doing okay.”

“Thank you,” Shiro said. “You’ll… you’ll make sure someone stays with him?”

Holt didn’t respond - not in a way that Keith could hear. The screech of a chair being pushed back let him know what Shiro was standing now.

He squeezed Keith’s hand, and Keith would give anything to be able to squeeze back.

* * *

“You know, I would never have put together that this Keith and the one you used to complain about were the same person.”

Lance was with him - from all that’s been said within Keith’s earshot, it seems that Lance was in the best shape. Lance and Veronica were with him now, along with the loud chatter of the little ones that Keith never learned the names of.

“Honestly? Same.” Lance said. “Don’t get me wrong, in the beginning, we were always at each other’s throats. I wouldn’t follow him anywhere.”

Keith snorted - or, thought about snorting - oh whatever. “At each other’s throats” was an understatement. They’d nearly killed each other before with all their fighting - which Lance had instigated, thank you very much. But then again, Keith took whatever shot he could, too.

The children were laughing at something excitedly, and Lance and Veronica both shout out rapid-fire Spanish at them that Keith had no hope of understanding.

“But things are different now. We’re different.” Lance’s voice was softer now. “We make a good team, and he’s a good leader.”

They did make a good team, didn’t they? After everything they’ve gone through, Keith would trust Lance with his life. And he has done that, time and time again.

Their time stranded in space without their Lions popped up in his head. Himself, angry and scared and yelling at they weren’t even friends, they weren’t his friends-

Man, he’d been so wrong.

“I can’t believe my ears, Lance, Lance McClain is admitting that he was wrong?” Veronica teased.

“Don’t tell him I said that!” Lance yelped. Keith would roll his eyes if he could. “I want to tell him myself when he wakes up.”

Oh.

“Do they have any idea of when he’ll wake up?” Veronica asked.

Lance sighed. “For someone with such a thick skull, I can’t believe he cracked it. It’s been a week already but - they have no idea.”

Had it really been that long? A whole week, plus whatever time he’d been operated on? The time got blurred when all you had to go by was the beat of your own heart.

“Keith’ll wake up,” Lance said with a determination that Keith only heard on the battlefield. “He’s too stubborn to die.”

Lance’s right. Still, hearing the word, the prospect, of dying, shook Keith. He was a helpless passenger in his own body. He was a fighter - but, he couldn’t fight.

Keith wanted to scream.

“Hey, Veronica?” Lance asked, drawing Keith out of his emotional turmoil. “How mad do you think he’d be if he woke up and saw that his hair was gone?”

Oh, fucking _Lance-_

* * *

Keith craved touch. He craved sensations and feelings and anything that would tingle his nerves and make him feel alive in his current state. Something to drown out the uncomfortable pain of all the medical equipment he was chained to.

But Coran poking his face was not what he had in mind.

“Coran, stop that.” Allura scolded.

“Well, we need him to wake up, don’t we?” Coran squeezed Keith’s nose and yeah he much rather have the feeling of emptiness than this.

“The doctors said that he should wake up on his own… eventually.” Keith could just picture Allura: head bowed, bottom lip between her teeth. “All we can do is keep him company in the meantime.”

“Do you think he can hear us?” Coran said, and then Keith felt breath on his ear. “Number 4, wiggle your ear if you can hear me!”

 _Yes, I can hear you!_ Keith wanted to yell and shout and quiznak he’d wiggle his ear, too. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t do anything.

“ _Coran_.” Allura sighed. “If I just had the strength, I could-”

“Now now, we’ve all discussed this, and all have agreed,” Coran said, finally moving away from Keith’s ear. “You’re in no shape to use alchemy - if you tried to heal Keith, you’d just switch places with him. He wouldn’t want you to harm yourself for his sake. Besides, the human mind is a fragile thing.”

Coran was right - Allura was far more important than him. The idea of anyone hurting themselves in an effort to help him made him feel guilty, greedy.

“It just feels…” Allura began. “Until Keith wakes, until we know he’s safe - it feels like we haven’t won. It’s like he’s back on the other side of that wormhole by himself all over again.”

Suddenly, Keith felt claustrophobic. He had never considered what the team must have felt like, left behind with no idea how to help. But… It wasn't like that. He wasn’t fighting Shiro this time, just himself. Shiro was safe, and so were all of them. Keith had done something right.

“Do…” Allura’s voice wavered. “Do you think this is what father felt like after he put us in cryo?”

“Oh, Allura…”

Allura cried, and Keith would have too if he could.

* * *

Kosmo - Keith didn’t want to submit to that name, but he had seen the wolf respond to it so, that was his choice then - would be with him more often than not.

A warm presence curled up on his legs before a nurse shooed him off the bed. Keith could only imagine how that must have looked: a giant cosmic wolf atop a comatose patient.

Kosmo rested his head on Keith’s lap most of the time. It was nice to feel something else warm and solid and alive.

Kosmo couldn’t be cooped up all the time though. Romelle would come in and get him, or sit with him. Took him on walks, make sure Kosmo ate. Romelle would chatter to them both - rambling on with her observances of Earth culture. The concept of milkshakes and other dairy products freaked her out just as much as it did Coran and Allura. Must have been an Altean thing.

Romelle was the one who was with him most often, garnered on the fact that she wasn’t injured and didn’t have any rebuilding responsibilities. She was there at least once a day, or what Keith thought was a day. It added to his routine, kept him grounded.

Sometimes he’d lose consciousness - or he guessed, lose subconsciousness? He’d bounce from one time to the next, unsure of how much time passed in between.

Then, the door opened.

“Oh I’m- I’m sorry, I didn’t realize anyone was here,” Shiro said, and Keith’s heart leaped. Shiro hadn’t been back since Commander Holt convinced him to get some sleep - and that was important, Keith wanted that. But he wanted Shiro, too.

“Just making sure Kosmo doesn’t go berserk,” Romelle said. “Would you like me to leave…?”

“Oh no, I-” Shiro stuttered. “I don’t want to kick you out. I don’t have much time.”

It was quiet, but there was the shuffling of feet and the screech of the chair.

There was Shiro’s hand, back in his.

“After Keith and Krolia found me, it took us about a month of flying to get out of the Quantum Abyss,” Romelle said, breaking the silence that had become a bit stifling. “An Altean pod is a lot faster than a space whale, but it’s no cruiser. I suppose it couldn’t have been more of a day in actual time…” Romelle paused, realizing she was rambling again. “You grow close to people when you’re stuck on a small ship with them.”

“Oh, I’m familiar with the feeling,” Shiro said, and Keith could hear the fond smile in his voice.

“Bandor… my brother… Lotor had killed him.” Romelle said. “He had been the last of my family.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I never thought I’d have that feeling again. That feeling of family.” Romelle said. Keith felt her soft hand curl around his other one. “But Keith… he’s like a brother to me, and I could never be more thankful that he found me.”

The thumb rubbing circles on the back of his hand stilled.

“I… I get what you mean,” Shiro said. “I- I’m sorry, but I have to go.”

Romelle hummed, and Keith heard Kosmo’s whine as Shiro stood, his hand slipping from Keith’s.

“I’ll let you know if there are any changes,” Romelle said.

“Thank you,” Shiro said. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

* * *

"Mom, Dad - this is Keith.” Hunk said. “Don’t worry, I’ll re-introduce you when he wakes up.”

“You said he flies the Black Lion?” A kind voice said. Hunk’s mom.

“Yeah, Keith’s like, super cool. He’s the best pilot we got.” Hunk began, rambling on at his usual fast rate. “He’s got these two really cool swords - well one is with his mom back in space. Oh yeah, his mom is an alien. She’s part of the Blade of Marmora, this super cool super not-so-secret-anymore rebel Galra spy force.”

“There was one time Keith and I went on a mission inside this giant planet-eating worm to get some materials for the castle. It was freaky - but Keith was good at keeping me focused. Oh! And we got out using the power of farts!”

Keith wished Hunk could see the dramatic roll of his eyes.

“He’s quiet but you know he’s paying attention. He actually helped me find you. We snuck out and met up with the resistance fighters.” Hunk’s breath hitched. “But they… the Galra had moved you back into the main facility. There was no way we could get to you. But I saw you and I had to leave-”

“It’s okay, son.” A warm, hearty voice. Hunk’s dad. “We’re together now.”

“This Keith,” said Hunk’s mom, “he sounds like a great friend.”

“Yeah,” Hunk sniffled. “He really is.”

* * *

Shiro would come at nights when he could. Keith could tell by the weight of his footsteps and the faint hum of his new prosthetic arm. Could tell by the familiar screech of the chair next to his bed.

Sometimes he’d hold Keith’s hand. Sometimes he’d brush the hair off of Keith’s forehead. But Shiro never spoke to him. Instead, he sat quietly thinking. And Keith knew that he was wallowing, moping, blaming himself and all he could do was lie there unable to do anything.

After Shiro’s run-in with Romelle, he stopped coming all together.

* * *

The beeping of his heart rate monitor was out of sync with Pidge’s incessant typing, and it was driving him crazy.

Pidge’s presence was comforting though. Pidge always talked to herself like she was talking to someone else. For once in - he doesn’t know how long now, he’s lost track - whatever, he felt like he was being _talked to_ instead of _talked about_ or _talked at._

“I know it sucks that like, the entire world was enslaved,” Pidge said. “But now we get to like, rebuild a lot from scratch? Communications-wise anyway. That’s going to be cool while everything else is a nightmare.”

Keith could only imagine.

“God, where’s Matt with my coffee. I haven’t had coffee in four years and just the smell of it again is making my brain go all weird.” Pidge grumbled to herself.

_It could also be the concussion and the trauma of war but, y'know. You do you._

“You know, Matt’s hair is longer than yours now,” Pidge told him. “He can actually put it up into a ponytail! It’s weird. I don’t like it.”

_Only one person is allowed to have long hair here, and that’s me._

“And he has a _GIRLFRIEND_ now,” Pidge yelled, and Keith could have jumped. “I mean. I think he has a girlfriend. She hasn’t taken off her helmet at all. So Matt could be lying and actually have a boyfriend. Or just a partner, because who said that the construct of gender also extended to aliens-”

“Jesus, Pidge, if you keep that up Keith’s not going to want to wake up.” Matt entered, and Keith could smell the coffee.

“Give it to me.” Pidge was like a bloodhound.

“The doctors said you shouldn’t have it.”

“Then why’d you bother bringing one? You hate coffee.”

“It’s decaf.”

“I, have never been more betrayed, in my entire life.” Pidge closed their laptop. “Give it to me anyway.”

Matt laughed, pulling up another chair on the other side of Keith’s bed. “We made contact with the Blade. Kolivan and Krolia are on their way.”

“That’s good,” Pidge said, voice a lot calmer after chugging half the cup. “He’ll want them here when he wakes up.”

“How’s he been?”

“His brain swelling may be going down, but being comatose for like a month is making him worse,” Pidge said. “The machine is doing all breathing for him. He looks like the living dead.”

Had it… Had it really been that long?

And he felt like he was breathing? Was he not breathing? How? He had a headache but he was feeling fine-

“Don’t use that phrase.” Matt snapped. “If Shiro hears you say that-”

“I know, I know.” Pidge sighed. “Keith’s too stubborn for all this.”

“Stubbornness doesn’t heal wounds, Katie.”

“Yeah, but it keeps one alive, doesn’t it?”

Matt laughed. “I guess it’s one of the main things the Human Race has got going for it, isn’t it?”

“Well, and the Galra. Victory or death.”

_Oh Pidge._

Matt snorted. “Yeah half-Galra too. Wait did you-?”

“Yes, I’ve already looked into how his Galra side could come into effect,” Pidge said. “I’ve tried talking with Green but Black has shut them all out. I thought about us using the mind meld helmets, but as Slav so _thankfully_ pointed out, we’d all be comatose in eighty-two percent of realities or something.”

“His condition is decidedly human.” Pidge continued. “Which means it’s out of our wheelhouse. There’s nothing that we can do.”

“It’s all up to Keith then, huh?” Matt said. “I think we got pretty good odds then.”

Damn right they did.

* * *

Keith put all the energy he had into moving his right index finger. Not that he hadn’t been trying before, but he’d been trying for harder, broader things.

_Patience yields focus._

Moving his finger shouldn’t have been this hard. It should have came to him naturally, like his bayard and his blade did.

Picturing his finger as a weapon didn’t help.

He tried to call out to Black, but there was nothing there. Whether it was an issue on his end or her’s - he didn’t know.

He kept trying.

_Patience yields focus._

* * *

Time passed, and he kept trying. He got regular updates from Hunk and the team on how they’d been helping with the rebuilding efforts in the city. How’d they’d been running supplies to other bases around the world.

Keith was desperate to help.

Move that finger.

_Patience yields focus._

His patience was wearing thin by the time Shiro finally returned.

The hum of his arm was a dead giveaway, a comforting presence.

Keith felt a hand on his cheek, warm flesh against his scar.

 _Oh, Shiro_.

“Sorry I haven’t been around in a while,” Shiro said, and much to Keith’s dismay, he still sounded like a wreck. “There’s been a lot going on. I keep wanting to stay with you - but I know you wouldn’t want me to be sitting around when there are people around that need help.”

“The Atlas… the Atlas is amazing,” Shiro said, taking Keith’s hand in his. “I can’t wait to show you around. Sam and Coran were arguing the other day about how the Paladins would get to the hangers from the bridge. Sam was so confused when Coran suggested ziplines. They’re still working something out, but Kosmo here has got your back.”

Kosmo gave an appreciative sound.

“The Black Lion… she’s still dark.” Keith focused all his energy on his hand, his fingers: _move, move, move_. “Allura says that she’s slowly regaining power on her own, but she won’t go online.”

“God,” Shiro said, voice breaking. “I hope you’re not in the astral plane like I was. You don’t deserve that, Keith. I don’t know how we’d get you out.”

Keith felt a drop of water land on the back of his hand and another. Shiro’s quiet sobs that Keith couldn’t do anything about.

Hand. Hand. Move. Squeeze. Hand.

_Patience yields focus._

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you,” Shiro said with a sniffle. “You not being awake to hear it almost gave me the courage to. But you deserve better than that, Keith. You deserve better from me.”

_Patience... yields... focus._

“There’s talk of moving you to a more permanent ward,” Shiro said. “I told them they couldn’t decide anything without your mom - stall for some time. You’ve never given up on me and I’m never going to give up on you.”

_Patience._

_Yields._

_Focus._

“I hope one day I can return all you’ve done for-”

His hand moved.

“ _Keith_?”

He gave another weak squeeze.

“Keith? Can you hear-”

He squeezed.

“God, _Keith_ ,” Shiro said, relief flooding him. “Keith - oh god, what’s happening? Nurse! _HELP_!”

Keith had no idea why Shiro was yelling - everything was fine. He was squeezing and squeezing, and squeezing-

* * *

Somewhere, the Black Lion roared.

Somehow, Keith felt it.

* * *

Keith’s surroundings came back to him slowly.

His throat was sore, but he could breathe. The heart rate monitor was still beeping, he felt the prick of an IV in his arm - but nothing else, no other machines.

The darkness seemed brighter, too. Like there was light on the other side.

Slowly, Keith opened his eyes. When the blinding brightness subsided, he was met with the smiling faces of his mom and Kolivan.

“Mom?” Keith said, voice hoarse, his throat aching.

“Try not to talk.” His mother said. “Do you want some water? Do you want to sit up?”

Keith nodded as best he could, and his mother raised the bed so that he was somewhat sitting up. Kolivan came to his other side and held out a paper cup of water for him.

Keith was embarrassed by how much his hand was shaking. He managed to take a sip without spilling, and the metallic tang of the Garrison tap water had never tasted so good.

“You gave us quite the scare.” His mom said, taking the cup from him. She brushed the hair off his forehead. “Your blade was flickering - and then we got the call. We came as soon as we could.”

Keith quirked an eyebrow in silent question.

“According to the Paladins, it’s been about sixty quintants.” Kolivan said. “I believe that’s about… forty-four Earth days?”

That long…

“I’m so happy you’re safe.” His mother whispered into his hair.

_Me too._

* * *

There had been a commotion in the hallway outside Keith’s room, so Kolivan and his mother went to investigate.

When the door reopened, it was neither of them.

“Shiro?” Keith said.

“ _Keith_ ,” Shiro said, relief overtaking him. Shiro rushed towards his side, but hesitated to touch. He looked at Keith with amazement, with wonder, like he’d disappear at any second.

Keith knew that feeling.

Keith took Shiro’s outstretched hand and put it to his cheek. “Hey.”

“ _Keith_ ,” Shiro said again. “You scared me- you scared all of us. You were out of it for so long, and then you were having a seizure and the Black Lion woke and then they took you away and I-”

“So that’s what that was…” Keith whispered.

“You remember that?” Shiro said.

“I remember everything,” Keith said, something fluttering in his chest. He needed to have courage, just like Shiro. “There’s something you wanted to tell me? When I woke up?”

Shiro’s jaw went slack, and his face red. His eyes darted all around Keith’s face, and for a second Keith worried that oh that was a mistake he shouldn’t have mentioned it Shiro’s freaking out-

But Shiro burst into a smile that could light up even the darkest parts of space, with a laugh more beautiful than any song Keith’s ever heard.

“ _Keith_ ,” Shiro said, with such happiness that it made Keith flush. “You never cease to amaze me.”

Shiro leaned in and gently pressed his lips to Keith’s.

_Oh._

_OH._

“I love you,” Shiro said. He pulled back but kept his forehead against Keith’s. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”

“I’ve been thinking so much since the battle,” Shiro said. “About losing you. About loving you. About you. I’ve been going over every detail and I hope you love me too-”

“I told you I did before, didn’t I?” Keith said, pulling back so he could look Shiro in the eye. “I love you. I’m in love with you, Shiro. That hasn’t changed. It won’t.”

Shiro laughed again, but there was a breathiness to it. There were tears bubbling in his eyes.

“I was so afraid I was never going to hear you say that,” Shiro said, and kissed him again.

Maybe Keith had died, and this was his own personal heaven. It felt like that: Shiro’s lips on his. Keith wanted more, he wanted it all, but a sharp pain in his head made him flinch.

“You’re finally awake, but you still have to recover,” Shiro said. “I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you. We got all the time in the world.”

_More than that._

“Shiro…” Keith began, unsure of what to say and how to say it. How much Shiro meant to him. How much Shiro had changed his life, what Shiro’s made him feel. But sometimes the simplest words are the clearest. “I love you, so, so much.”

Shiro laughed as he pressed a light kiss to Keith’s head, careful to avoid the bandage.

“I’m never going to get tired of you saying that.”

Keith smiled. Having Shiro here, with his arms around him. It was worth the wait. It was worth everything.

 _“Mullet! Mullet’s up!”_ Shiro and Keith turned to face the door as they heard yelling echoing down the hall.

“The team has been just as antsy,” Shiro said. “They can’t wait to see you.”

Keith couldn’t wait to see them either: his friends, his family, brought together by extreme coincidences he was so thankful for. He missed them so much.

“Well, what are we waiting for?”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!!


End file.
